Midnight Encounters
by aissaa
Summary: This happens in the Jinchuu arc. Kaoru's dead, Misao's sad, Aoshi sees her like that...*spoiler alert*! this is a re-post, btw. R&R!


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~::Midnight Encounters::~

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, I am just borrowing characters.  
  
AN: Hey! =) this fic is in the Jinchuu Arc...when Misao and Aoshi come from Kyoto ( or was it Tokyo) to attend Kaoru's burial...I have only read summaries of these mangas from the internet, so I don't know too much...need a little more research, but who cares? This story just popped into my head, so...I wrote it. Hope it ends up nice...  
  
  


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Misao couldn't believe it. She stepped forward and touched the empty, unmade futon of Kaoru Kamiya gently, her eyes now wandering about it listlessly... " Kaoru-chan..."  
Kaoru Kamiya was dead. Something Misao couldn't really comprehend.  
She had known Kaoru like she was her own sister. Though Misao had to admit, the first time she had met Kaoru, the impression she had formed about her wasn't so...impressive.  
_I didn't like her. There was something about her...I knew from the very moment she had spoke of Kenshin, that she wanted him...and that she had captivated his heart. That was something I didn't like.  
I liked Kenshin. No, I wouldn't call it love. He had saved me from a treacherous death when he met me...caused by my own recklessness. It didn't matter to him, though. And that was why I liked him.  
But I learnt that my 'love' for him was futile...as I noticed a strange chemistry around both Kenshin and Kaoru. It was love, and I knew it. Then I realized that I was hopeless.  
I grew to like Kamiya-san soon enough...I saw what Kenshin saw in her. And I really think he deserved her. A nice girl like her should be with a nice guy like him. I thought they were meant to be...  
Until...that fateful night...when she was killed..._  
Misao's heart began to pound harder, a heavy feeling settling upon her chest. Grief, maybe.  
_Why...why, kami-sama, why her..._  
Misao began to waver. Before she knew it, she had collapsed unto the futon, tears flowing recklessly down her cheeks.  
She didn't care if anyone saw her. To hell with anyone watching her!  
Misao sniffed once, and rubbed her eyes. She sat up...and noticed that the door was opened.  
Aoshi had been watching her silently the whole time. He just stood there, his cold blue eyes looking at her.  
Misao's eyes widened. " Aoshi-sama?"  
She cursed silently. To let Aoshi see her in this condition--! She hurriedly rubbed her now red eyes and forced a smile onto her face. " What brings you here?" At this time of the night...  
His eyes flickered over her dim figure in the moonlight before he spoke. Even at this time of the night, Misao could still see Aoshi almost fully.  
" I was checking on you in your room. I noticed that...you weren't in there."  
Misao's heart skipped a beat, she could almost swear it did. " Ch-checking on me?" for a moment there, she forgot that Kaoru was dead, energy replenished to her limp body, at the thought of Aoshi actually caring for her.  
_Caring for me?_ She felt a hot blush spread slowly across her face.  
Aoshi's eyes flickered on her one last moment, then he averted his eyes to the cool wooden floor. " Okina's orders. He thought you might become emotionally unstable."  
"Oh." The moment she said that, Misao wished she could swallow it back down._It sounds like I'm disappointed he's doing it on Okina's orders!_  
She slapped her hands over her mouth, and wished she could die right then and there.  
If Aoshi had heard her, he didn't show any reaction to it. Either that, or he hadn't heard her at all. He spoke again.  
" You'd better get back to your room."  
" H-hai." Misao wiped the last of her tears dry and rose, walking past Aoshi in the process. As she did, her shoulder connected with his arm. A slight bump, then that was it. Misao felt herself turning red again.  
_Stop it, Misao! Now isn't the time to worry about your personal affairs, you know!_  
Her heart was still beating fast from her 'encounter' with Aoshi. She walked to her room, slid the door shut, and walked over to her futon. She had had her hair down awhile ago...  
_I wonder what Aoshi-sama thinks about me with my hair down?_  
She felt her face flush once more._Stop thinking such thoughts about Aoshi-sama!_  
She settled down on her futon, then laid down, sliding under the sheets, pulling the blanket up until her chin. Misao curled up on her side.  
Her thoughts wandered back to awhile ago. She had just woken up all of a sudden, wanting a drink of water. She walked past Kaoru's room...then stopped, then went in. She didn't know why...but she just did...  
She felt that unmistakable pain settle over her chest again, making her heart feel heavy. All good feelings she had gained from Aoshi had disappeared, flew out the window. Misao closed her eyes, trying hard to sleep. But tears had welled up in her eyes.  
_Kaoru...what I'd give to see you alive again..._   
  
  


~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  
Aoshi stopped by the door of Misao's room and listened in. He couldn't hear anything too well-light, even breathing._She must be asleep._  
He walked by, resisting the urge to open her door and check on her.  
Instead, he opened the door to his room, stepped inside, and sat on his futon, thoughts whirling around his mind in a blaze.  
He had woken up in a sweat not too long ago-why, he did not know. Aoshi just laid there in his bed for a few minutes when he struck by a thought to check on Misao. He recalled Okina's words to him beforehand._'Watch Misao well. I fear that this might be too much for her.'_  
Aoshi had agreed to do so, for Okina's sake. The old man seriously thought Misao would break down in an emotional flurry.  
Aoshi however, knew better. He knew Misao, that she wouldn't be so...so emotional. She would pretend that everything was all right, nothing was wrong.  
Until he had checked on her. The first thing he noticed was that the door to her room had been open.  
At first, he didn't mind it. He immediately supposed she had done that on purpose...maybe she had found it hot...it was a rather humid night, after all...then he looked inside.  
There was no one inside.  
He dismissed thoughts of kidnapping and killings quickly. Maybe she had gone off to the bathroom...  
But somehow, Aoshi knew he was wrong. His calmness immediately gave way to impending fear-where had she gone? He wouldn't forgive himself if something had happened to her-after all, he had promised Okina he'd look after his granddaughter-and-  
He didn't know why, but...he actually cared.  
Aoshi cared about what would happen to Misao. It wasn't just for the old man, but also for himself. He was looking out for Misao for-how he felt-was-  
But he kept his cool, somehow. It was then he noticed that the door to Kaoru's room was open-and someone was sobbing inside.  
He had walked towards the room cautiously. It wasn't that he was scared, but...  
Aoshi looked inside carefully, and was surprised to see Misao crying her eyes out, on Kaoru's old futon.  
He had been surprised._Misao...crying?_  
He wanted to step forward and comfort her, take her in his arms, say everything was going to be alright...but he suppressed the urge and just stood there, watching her. Until she noticed him.  
She went back to her room after that. Aoshi just stood there, watching after her as she walked back.  
The moonlight had been shining on her hair...  
_Her hair..._  
It rippled softly with each step she took, as black as ebony. The moonlight shone on it, making her seem more special than she really was.  
Aoshi shook his head, clearing his head of thoughts.  
Not that she was special to him...  
Not that she was more than a little girl to him...  
Not that he felt something for her...  
With these thoughts in mind, he fell into a dreamless slumber...  
  
  
  
~end   
  
AN: There. Finished. Well, what do you think? That's about it...I guess. My mind's a blank as to what I should write after this...any comments? Suggestions? R&R! 


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